Hero
by superpony55
Summary: Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and Tobias discover what it means to be a hero.
1. Save

SAVE

Jake wanted to be a hero.

His father always told him anyone could be a hero, if they were ready to help the world. He would know. His entire job was helping- he was a pediatrician. To Jake, his father was a hero.

His mother always said anyone could be a hero, if they had the strength to do what was right. She would know. Her side of the family had been through a lot, and she was always there for him and his brother. To Jake, his mother was a hero.

His brother Tom always said anyone could be a hero, if they believed in their cause. He would know. He was so dedicated to that group The Sharing, which were always out helping the environment. To Jake, his brother was a hero.

Jake knew his father was helpful, his mother was strong, and his brother was dedicated. What about him? He knew one thing, he wanted to be like them.

Jake wanted to be a hero.

His father told him he was helpful. He was always helping around the house, but somehow Jake didn't think that made him a hero.

His mother told him he was strong. He didn't cave into peer pressure, but somehow Jake didn't think that made him a hero.

His brother told him he was dedicated. He was always there for his friends, but somehow Jake didn't think that made him a hero.

When Jake told Tom this, he laughed. "But it doesn't make you any less of one," he had said.

Of course, Jake could have just joined the Sharing, like Tom was always bugging him to, but it wasn't really his style. He wanted to be his own person. He felt there were already so many people helping out there, and he wasn't much for group things. But he was determined to be a hero. Even that, he felt, didn't make him a hero.

When Jake told his mother this, she laughed. "But it doesn't make you any less of one," she had said.

Of course, Jake could have just helped raise money for charity or something, but it wasn't really his style. He wanted to do something more. He felt there were already so many people helping out there, and he really needed his money anyway. But he wanted to help somehow. Even that, he felt, didn't make him a hero.

When Jake told his father this, he laughed. "But it doesn't make you any less of one," he had said.

Jake knew that one kid couldn't make a huge difference, not to the world. So he decided to start small.

Jake was always a good student. He didn't disrupt the class, he got A's and B's, and he wasn't unpopular. People would listen to him there. There, he could make a difference. There, he could be a hero.

But how?

He told his friend Marco about wanting to help around school, but Marco just laughed. "You could start by petitioning for better school lunches. Seriously, I bet you could get food poisoning from these."

Jake knew his friend wasn't taking him seriously. "It's not a joke," he said.

Marco grinned at him. "Hey, if you're that dedicated to it, then I'm sure you'll find something."

Dedicated. That was step one. _Check._

Jake knew he'd find someone. Marco believed in him, even if he wasn't taking him seriously. That was good. Jake was ready to help.

Helpful. That was step two. _Check._

When Jake told Marco he'd checked off two things off of his list, Marco asked what step three was. "Strength," Jake said. "A hero has to be strong." A look of sadness crossed Marco's face as he shook his head.

"No, Jake," he said. "Step three is _hope_. A hero has to hope that they are a hero, that they will be able to win. That they will always come back. If you don't hope, you're not a hero. And let me tell you, you've got that one down already."

Jake smiled at him. "Hoping," he said. "That was step three."

"Check," they said together.

Jake smiled. Soon he would be there. Soon, he would achieve his dream.

Jake wanted to be a hero.

Later that day, Jake could be seen walking right up to some bullies, who were making fun of a boy with dirty blonde hair and dreamy green eyes. They left, and he helped the kid up.

"You okay?" he asked. The boy nodded.

"Yeah."

"What's your name?"

"Tobias." Jake smiled at him, smiling inside and out about what he'd just done. He'd had the strength to do it! Strength. That was step four. _Check. _He turned away from the kid.

Footsteps followed him, and Tobias put his hands on his shoulder. "Thanks, Jake."

Jake wanted to be a hero.

And he was, even if he was taking it one step at a time.

Dedication, helpful, hoping, and strength.

_Check._


	2. Hope

HOPE

Marco didn't want to be a hero.

Sure, he used to, but that was before the accident.

His mom was a hero. He knew that. He'd seen her helping the unfortunate, and he cheered the entire time. His mom would grin, and every day, his mother would tell him about another one of her adventures. But the part he remembered most was her telling him heroes always had to have hope. Every night, he would ask why, and she would laugh and say "someday you'll know". And every night he would ask "is someday over yet?" and she would laugh harder.

That was until the accident.

His mother had seen an unknown man run out of a friend's house, and an alarm was going off. Even in stormy weather, she had taken her boat out after him. Her boat was found with two holes in it, washed away in the storm. Her body was never found.

Then Marco understood what she meant.

Every night, he would sit there remembering, imagining her getting washed up onto an island, and trying to fight her way back to him and his father. His father didn't hope, and that broke him.

Eventually, Marco accepted she wasn't coming back.

There was one thing Marco did not tell Jake the day Jake announced he wanted to help the school. If you couldn't hope, you just had to accept it. If you didn't, you would break. Like his father did. Marco stopped dreaming of using his powers against evil. He started dreaming of his mother's return. He was scared of heroes, and he felt that he couldn't become one. He wasn't one.

Marco didn't want to be a hero.

No matter how unbelievable it was, it was the truth. Everyone had to accept it.

The only one who didn't… was Marco himself.

He kept telling himself he didn't want to be a hero. He kept telling himself the idea scared him. He kept telling himself his father needed him.

But he knew in his heart he already was a hero. Well, too bad.

Marco didn't want to be a hero.

He looked out and saw the world was a horrible place that needed saving. He saw the world was full of horrible people who needed to understand. Well, too bad!

_He didn't care._

Or so he kept telling himself. _Marco, who cares about all those other people. You can't change anything! You don't _need_ to change anything! The only people you need to help are those close to you!_

_My mother was close to me! She's _gone_, and is never coming back! It's her fault for trying to be a hero! The world can handle itself! _IT DOESN'T NEED ME!

He didn't realize he already _was_ a hero. He had given up everything he ever wanted for his father.

No matter how much he wanted to be standing beside Jake, he felt he couldn't. He thought he couldn't give up everything to be a hero, when it was the opposite.

He already had.

He remembered the rules of heroes. Dedicated. _Nope._ He didn't realize there was a big, fat, _check_ by that. He was dedicated to his family.

Helpful. _Nope._ There was a _check_ by that, too. He helped his father as much as he could.

Step three. Hopeful. _Nope_. But no matter how much he thought he had accepted it, he hadn't lost hope that his mother was alive. _Check._

And fourth. Strength. _Nope._ But Marco had checked that off, too. He had the strength to take care of his father, instead of the other way around. _Double check._

Marco didn't want to be a hero.

When Jake had come back, beaming, saying he was finally a hero, Marco was happy for him. But then Jake offered to work together.

"Nope." Marco shook his head. "Sorry Jake, but I can't. I know how great it feels to help others, but right now I can barely help myself. I'm no hero."

"But you _are_," Jake pleaded. "And we're best friends. We need to stand together."

"Sorry Jake," said Marco. "Please try to understand. You're on your own."

"But I need a sidekick," Jake begged, grinning. He was still hoping, but he was also accepting.

"I'm nobody's sidekick!" Marco tackled Jake, and they both erupted in laughter.

Marco didn't want to be a hero.

Too bad he already was.


End file.
